One Month & Baby Products

It’s been a little over one month now since I had Miss Evelyn! There is a pretty rapid learning curve for a newborn. Nothing gets you moving and motivated to figure out what’s going on like some screaming! She has taught me so much already, it’s amazing how much I feel I already know about her, what she likes and what she doesn’t. It’s even down to the smallest sound which can be a subtle cue a meltdown is near, and now I can usually avoid it. Usually. But it’s not all crying! She has started smiling which absolutely melts my heart. Everyone thinks their own child is the cutest in the entire world, and that is completely accurate! She is!

Since the first and last update, my husband has gone back to work. I was nothing short of holding him by the ankles as he headed out the door on that first Monday back. He should’t have been so helpful! It was just me and Evie. I give so much credit to single mothers. If I feel like if I deserve a medal, they deserve ten.

Now that we have had a little time together, there are certain items I’m so happy we have, and others I realized I didn’t really need, at least not yet. In the beginning Evie could not stand to be swaddled, which was mostly fine because she was sleeping on me the majority of the time, so I my arms were the swaddle. The doctor said try again at three weeks of age since at that point they often change and are OK with it. She certainly doesn’t love it, but she constantly wakes herself up with her hands, which are always in her face even when she’s awake, so it’s helped get her to sleep and stay asleep for the most part. Sometimes she decides she still hates it and grunts and punches until she breaks free of it. Sigh. The girl does not like sleeping during the day (which I didn’t understand at first, I thought newborns slept pretty much all the time!), but luckily she is a good sleeper at night (thank you!!!). So it evens out. I’m fine with it now but at first I was super stressed like she wasn’t going to grow and develop because she wasn’t sleeping enough. I’ve since let that go. If I can tell she is really tired, it’s usually all about the swaddle, swinging her in my arms, blasting Taylor Swift, and letting her suck on a pacifier because it really soothes her. I made it just over three weeks without a pacifier, but during times of need it serves its purpose and makes her happy, and that makes me happy. Here’s what else I’ve been we’ve been using and liking lately:

Supplements:L. Reuteri, a particular strain of probiotic only found in breast milk which helps with immunity and gut health. It is thought this may help with colic and fussy babies, so I thought I’d give it a go! Gerber also makes “Soothe” which is the same thing. Mother’s Bliss Gripe Water is another item I give her occasionally that contains just ginger and fennel to help with gas and digestion.

Massage time: It’s so wonderful giving my baby a massage! My friend from Australia (Thanks Kaz!) sent me baby massage oil and an instructional booklet on how and when to properly give one. I’m also loving Mommy’s Bliss sweet slumber massage cream. It smells so nice but not overwhelming; the lavender oil in it is calming and soothing.

Bottles:Como Tomo. I love love these bottles. We had other ones and I ended up ordering these because I couldn’t stand the size and the nipple on the others even though they were “meant for her age”. She choked constantly and it just wasn’t working. These are perfect. I am going to order the larger size now that she’s consuming a little more at a time.

Formula: Yes, formula. Sigh. This will be another post entirely. I’m just not ready to do it yet. Everyone (like, everyone) has their own opinion on this, but where I stand is that I am so disappointed and saddened that I cannot breastfeed my child. My principles, my lifestyle, my beliefs–all align with breastfeeding her as long as possible. I will definitely share about my journey and struggles with it at some point. The formula we did decide to go with comes from Germany called Holle. The milk comes from grass-fed cows, it’s non-GMO and organic, and does not include any corn syrup or other nasties that are allowed in formula here in the U.S. It’s certainly not perfect, no formula is, but it’s the best I can do besides supplementing with donor milk as well (I’ll write more on that in the same breast feeding post).

Additional & Books:The Baby Susher. For when I’m completely tapped out doing it myself, I turn to that! It’s so similar to the sound we make doing it ourselves! Saves a lot of breath and it mimics the sound they were used to in the womb. It’s no wonder they call it “The sleep miracle”. If you haven’t read or watched The Happiest Baby on the Block, I highly recommend it! Another book I reference a lot is Baby 411. If you haven’t noticed many of my blog posts include bullet points (this one no excluded!) because I personally like easy, quick info. This book is perfect for that. It cuts to the chase (you wouldn’t know it from how many pages it is!) which is also a good indication how much there is to learn, discover, and conquer as far as babies go! I also downloaded an app called “The Wonder Weeks” which explains and breaks down each week and when to expect certain changes in the baby and lots more. It is based on the book.

I’m sure in the coming months there will be many more products and certainly a lot more I’ve learned along the way! What are some of your favorite baby items? What worked what didn’t?! Thanks in advance!

Thanks Sabrina! You bet–I feel like we all end up with variations depending what friend or family member swears by, but it’s always nice to hear about others just in case!
Yes the “rushing” is wonderful and soothing for them since they were used to that sound in the womb! We read about it as one of the “5 S’s” from Happiest Baby on the Block. That’s awesome you took a class on it!

Thanks, Jessie! Mommy’s Bliss has all kinds of products that are good for all ages. I love how clean they are and the story behind them! Enjoy! Let me know what you find and if you can recommend anything to me! 🙂

Hi! I'm Leah, thanks for stopping by! The field of health and wellness is my passion, so I have created a space to answer your health questions all while filling you in on my own personal journey along the way. I am a daughter, wife, sister, new mom, dog mommy, spinner, yogi, traveler, and chocolate lover. I am a certified Holistic Health Coach and if you have a question you want a real-girl answer to, just ask!
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." - Jim Rohn